


Eskel dreams of love

by slythnerd



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Aromantic, Aromantic Awareness Week, Aromantic Eskel, Gen, Minor Aiden/Lambert (The Witcher), Minor Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29713941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slythnerd/pseuds/slythnerd
Summary: When Jaskier visits Kaer Morhen for the first time, he tells wonderfully romantic tales of Courtly love. Although he's never felt romantically attracted to anyone himself, Eskel finds he can't stop thinking about the stories and what it must feel like to be in love. So much so, he writes a book, which turns out to be fairly popular.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	Eskel dreams of love

**Author's Note:**

> In this story, Eskel is aro, and this was written for Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week (ASAW21). 
> 
> I am also slythnerd on Tumblr - come and say hi ^_^

Eskel wasn’t sure what to make of Geralt’s bard when he finally decided to bring him along with him to Kaer Morhen. Once he got to know Jaskier however, they were fast friends; he just had a way of putting everyone at ease, and was so easy to get along with, even for mutant emotionless witchers like himself.

Eskel loved Jaskier’s songs, but he especially enjoyed the stories that he told of Courtly romances. He knew that bards had a reputation for sleeping around and not caring about how many broken hearts they left behind them on the road, but the way that Jaskier spoke of love, it seemed like he really believed in it, and it sounded… nice. He got a sort of warm feeling in his heart when he heard Jaskier tell a particularly good tale, and he dreamed of love all winter.

Eskel had never felt anything particular towards anyone else; not in the romantic sense. He had visited brothels and paid good coin to spend a few hours with company, but it was a physical need and nothing more. He had never once felt attracted to anyone romantically or otherwise, and he knew most people saw him as a monster, if not for his mutations then for the scars on his face. Not that he minded, it was just the way things were. 

That said, he was intrigued by the idea of love and romance. He saw it in the way that Jaskier looked at Geralt, and he’d be a fool not to realise the man was head-over-heels for his grumpy brother. Not that Geralt was any better at hiding his affections either. Even his brother Lambert was known to keep company with a witcher from the School of Cat, and Eskel was pretty sure that it was serious between them, not that Lambert would admit to it as being such.

Eskel may not have ever been in love, or even knew what it felt like, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about it. He really liked the stories where there were obstacles to overcome, or where either party were unaware of the other’s heart secretly yearning for them. He had so many ideas, and just had to write them down so that they were out of his head. 

Once on the path again, Eskel spent his free time writing and refining the ideas that he had. He wanted it finished by winter so that he could show Jaskier what he had done, and get his opinion on whether it was any good. He knew the bard would give his honest opinion, and he surely must be fairly discerning over what made a good tale considering his trade. 

When they did meet up again at Kaer Morhen, Eskel was so nervous to see Jaskier that he felt sick. It took him a few days to get the courage up to invite him up to his room and show him the manuscripts. Jaskier took great care with them and read them, giving a little constructive criticism where he felt it was warranted, but he positively gushed his praise at Eskel once he’d finished reading. Eskel didn’t really think it was worth all that praise, but he did enjoy the warm feeling he got from Jaskier’s feedback. 

Jaskier tried to persuade him to let the others read his story, but Eskel firmly denied this. It was embarrassing enough asking his brother’s boyfriend to read it, he wasn’t going to bare his soul to his brothers. Jaskier did, however, manage to get Eskel’s permission to take it back with him to Oxenfurt to show one of his professors, who in turn might try to get it published. Eskel didn’t think anything would come of it, but Jaskier was relentless in asking and if it made coin, then that was a good thing he supposed. He did get a promise that he would remain anonymous, so at least he wouldn’t lose anything by Jaskier showing it around.

He thought nothing more about it, until the following year, Jaskier had a surprise for him. When they met, he held out a leather-bound volume with a flourish, but before Eskel could take it, Lambert snatched it out of the bard’s hand. He ran away with it, and although Jaskier apologised, there was nothing to be done about it. 

When they were on their own, Jaskier explained that the professor had been enamoured by the writing and had it published almost immediately. It was selling really well, and Jaskier had brought a copy along with him to give to Eskel so that he could have one of the first copies. He also handed over a large amount of coin that he’d earned from the sales of the book. Eskel was astounded! He would never have thought that his little story would be so well liked, especially as he was not writing about anything he had himself experienced. 

It seemed that Lambert had really liked the book, as he gave it to the other witchers to read, and spent time wondering around the keep quoting parts of the dialogue, much to Eskel’s horror. Luckily Lambert and the rest of his family hadn’t worked out that the author, Kelly Ramshorn, was him. It must have been Jaskier who can up with that name.

One evening, Vesemir had asked Jaskier if he could procure him another copy. He knew that he’d intended to give the book to Eskel before Lambert had snatched it away to read, and as Vesemir explained, they didn’t really have many fictional books in the library at the keep and he thought it’d make a nice addition. 

Eskel’s heart swelled with pride at that, and may have retired to his room early to have a bit of a cry. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d make anything out of his writing, but now he was determined. He’d have another for Jaskier before long. He didn’t want to keep his new fans waiting.


End file.
